Going Forward
I seem to have fallen into the bad habit of updating this thing annually. Oops!
First, a follow-up to my previous entry where I explained my intent to start art school in the fall of 2009. Unfortunately, that proved impossible for the simple reason that the money was not there. I began school as intended, but had to bail out halfway through the autumn quarter because my expected level of financial aid did not materialize and the tuition bills would have broken me. However, I was able to take a bit of coursework in the evening program during this year, which was an incredibly positive experience and I fully intend to do more this coming year if time and finances allow.
The conclusion I've reached is that before I can go forward, I need to take a step backwards. I swore at the end of 2006 that I was going to retire from full-time IT work, but despite my best efforts to stay away from it, I simply have no alternative but to get back into it; it's too lucrative to ignore and I have long since grown weary of living mostly off the proceeds gleaned hocking my possessions on eBay.
I've been devoting a good deal of time to my job search for the last month or so, but I'm also a part-time student this summer, restarting my Master's degree and finally finishing up the technical communications certificate coursework I started ages ago. Not completing my Master's is one of my biggest laments from my 20s and I really would like the rectify that, so I'm making another attempt. That will have a -very- positive impact on my future paychecks once I earn the degree.
Fortunately, my financial situation is just rosy enough that I will be at Anthrocon in Pittsburgh in about 10 days and I am very much looking forward to it. Just about all of the people I know well are skipping this year, so it might actually be a little bit quieter than usual - though I somehow recall saying the same thing in 2009 and it was one of the most frenetic cons I've ever been to, so maybe that just means I'll end up getting even less sleep this time around!
My one major regret is that I have not had any time or motivation to work on any personal art for several months, and I will not have work in the convention art show as I planned; nothing I completed as part of my coursework is appropriate for a furry convention. I do have some pretty fun things in mind that I'd like to try, so I will make another attempt in 2011. I also might work on some smaller things for Midwest Furfest in November if time allows, but I'll just take things one step at a time. If my experiences the last couple of years have taught me anything, it's that sometimes I just need to relax and not have such an unabashedly Type-A attitude about everything.
Despite all the uncertainty, I'm actually feeling pretty positive and think that I have a good way forward. Finding work is the lynchpin to everything else, but I know I'll be all right and that I'll be back in the labor force in no time. Hopefully I will have some very good news to share before too long.
First, a follow-up to my previous entry where I explained my intent to start art school in the fall of 2009. Unfortunately, that proved impossible for the simple reason that the money was not there. I began school as intended, but had to bail out halfway through the autumn quarter because my expected level of financial aid did not materialize and the tuition bills would have broken me. However, I was able to take a bit of coursework in the evening program during this year, which was an incredibly positive experience and I fully intend to do more this coming year if time and finances allow.
The conclusion I've reached is that before I can go forward, I need to take a step backwards. I swore at the end of 2006 that I was going to retire from full-time IT work, but despite my best efforts to stay away from it, I simply have no alternative but to get back into it; it's too lucrative to ignore and I have long since grown weary of living mostly off the proceeds gleaned hocking my possessions on eBay.
I've been devoting a good deal of time to my job search for the last month or so, but I'm also a part-time student this summer, restarting my Master's degree and finally finishing up the technical communications certificate coursework I started ages ago. Not completing my Master's is one of my biggest laments from my 20s and I really would like the rectify that, so I'm making another attempt. That will have a -very- positive impact on my future paychecks once I earn the degree.
Fortunately, my financial situation is just rosy enough that I will be at Anthrocon in Pittsburgh in about 10 days and I am very much looking forward to it. Just about all of the people I know well are skipping this year, so it might actually be a little bit quieter than usual - though I somehow recall saying the same thing in 2009 and it was one of the most frenetic cons I've ever been to, so maybe that just means I'll end up getting even less sleep this time around!
My one major regret is that I have not had any time or motivation to work on any personal art for several months, and I will not have work in the convention art show as I planned; nothing I completed as part of my coursework is appropriate for a furry convention. I do have some pretty fun things in mind that I'd like to try, so I will make another attempt in 2011. I also might work on some smaller things for Midwest Furfest in November if time allows, but I'll just take things one step at a time. If my experiences the last couple of years have taught me anything, it's that sometimes I just need to relax and not have such an unabashedly Type-A attitude about everything.
Despite all the uncertainty, I'm actually feeling pretty positive and think that I have a good way forward. Finding work is the lynchpin to everything else, but I know I'll be all right and that I'll be back in the labor force in no time. Hopefully I will have some very good news to share before too long.